And It All Comes Tumbling Down
by Little Miss Violet
Summary: For years Cameron had kept something hidden from everyone around her but when things change she finds she can’t hide it anymore.
1. Chapter 1

**TITLE:** And It All Comes Tumbling Down!  
**AUTHOR:** Little Miss Violet.  
**RATING:** PG13.  
**DISCLAIMER:** Anything you've seen on the TV doesn't belong to me.  
**SUMMARY:** For three years Cameron had kept something hidden from everyone around her but when things change she finds she can't hide it anymore.  
**PAIRING:** There is no real relationship pairing but quite a few friendship ones.  
**SPOILERS:** All of seasons 1 and 2.  
**NOTES:** I've only seen the first 2 seasons (roll on November) so this takes place at the end of season 2. Also I am English so my terminology is different sorry if that's confusing. Oh and I'm no doctor so I apologise for any mistakes. 

1.

Rolling out of bed Cameron moaned softly at the pain caused by the bright sunlight that was creeping in through the gap in her curtains, sitting on the edge of the bed she realised that her vest top was soaked with sweat, reaching up she placed the back of her hand across her forehead which felt warmer than what she considered normal.

Groaning she stepped out of bed and dragged her heavy limbs to the bathroom, opening the cabinet she pulled out an electronic thermometer and closed her eyes as she waited for the beep. Seconds later it beeped forcing her to open her eyes, looking down at the screen she sighed heavily as she threw the thermometer in the sink.

"101.1, low grade fever," she muttered to herself as she took a bottle of Tylenol from the cabinet and downed two of the pills.

Stripping off her vest top and boxers she stepped into the shower, the mixture of the hot water and steam hit her immediately making her feel that maybe she did have enough strength left to get through a full day of House.

Half-an-hour later she stepped out of the shower feeling nearly human. Stepping back into her bedroom she pulled her hair back into a ponytail and threw on a light grey trousers and waistcoat suit with a white fitted shirt.

Grabbing her bag Cameron stopped at her phone, flicking through her phone book she dialled a number that she should have known off by heart given the amount of times she had dialled it.

"Dr. Sherwood it's Allison Cameron I was wondering if it would be possible to drop by before I have to start work?" Cameron asked.

Dr Amanda Sherwood twirled the cord of the phone between her fingers. "I'll fit you in but can I just ask why?"

"I think I need my counts checking," Cameron sighed.

"Ok," Amanda agreed. "But Allison you know that we can only tell so much with a CBC if you think you might be progressing than we'll need to do an aspiration."

Sitting down on the sofa Cameron sighed loudly. "If my CBC gives us cause for concern how quickly can you arrange an aspiration?"

"You can go on the afternoon list," Amanda told her.

"Today?" Cameron checked.

Amanda pulled up the clinic list on her computer. "Yes today. But Allison it could be nothing it could just be side effects of the interferon I mean I know we've kept them well controlled until now but it's not unheard of."

"This is different," Cameron whispered into the phone. "For the past couple of weeks I've been getting increasingly tired, I've had a cold I can't shift and now I'm having night sweats and a low grade fever."

"How low grade?" Amanda asked.

"101.1," Cameron replied.

Amanda pulled out her diary. "You could have an infection."

"Or I could be in the accelerated phase," Cameron suggested, finally voicing what she had been fearing for a while now.

"Let's not jump the gun, listen why don't you come in now and we'll do the blood test, as soon as the results are back I'll ring you and then we can decide where to go from there," Amanda suggested.

Leaning back into the soft cushions of her sofa Cameron closed her eyes. "Ok, I'll see you shortly."

MD-MD-MD

45 minutes and 2 red lights later Cameron found herself sitting opposite her doctor of 2 and a half years.

"You're taking the blood yourself?" Cameron asked.

"The clinic nurse isn't on yet," Amanda replied as she tightened the tourniquet, cleaned the area, inserted the needle and filled 3 vials with Cameron's blood.

Cameron didn't even wince as the needle pierced her skin, to her this was nothing compared to what she was used to. "How long until I get the results?"

"It should be a few hours, I'll ring you as soon as I get them," Amanda reassured her.

Cameron nodded, smiling gently. "Thanks Dr. Sherwood."

"I've told you before; call me Amanda," she told the younger doctor.

"Sorry. Amanda," Cameron smiled.

"And Allison?" Amanda called as Cameron stopped in the doorway and turned to face her. "I know it's probably no use me even suggesting it because I know what you'll say but I really think you should tell someone, if you are progressing-"

Shaking her head Cameron played nervously with the strap of her bag. "That's a bridge I'll cross when I come to it."

MD-MD-MD

Sitting down at the table Cameron tried to stop her leg from shaking but the mixture of nerves and fear was heavily compromising her ability to concentrate.

"Dr. Cameron are you with us?" House asked as he spotted the young immunologists distracted state.

Cameron nodded. "Of course."

"So differential people?" House asked as he turned his attention back to the whiteboard.

"It could be Kawasaki," Chase suggested.

House drew a line between the symptoms on the whiteboard. "It fits 8 out of 9, get an EKG, the alopecia could be a red herring."

She was about to suggest something else when Cameron was interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. "I'm … I'm sorry I have to take this."

Not waiting for anyone to protest Cameron stepped outside of the office, looking at the screen she took a deep breath before answering the phone "Dr … Amanda?"

"Listen we both know why I called so I'll get straight to the results, your red blood cells and platelets have dropped considerably since your last CBC and you're white count is through the roof," Amanda explained.

"How high?" Cameron asked trying to stop her voice from shaking.

Amanda looked down at the lab results in her hand. "120,000 which is up-"

"95,000 from my last CBC," Cameron completed for her. "So what time do you want me in for the aspiration?" she asked.

"The clinic starts at 1, and I can fit you in anytime between then and 3," Amanda told her.

Staring through the glass door Cameron looked at the clock. "I'll be there in half-an-hour."

Hanging up the phone Cameron re-entered the office. "I've got to go out for the afternoon," she announced picking her bag up off of the chair.

"Ok I'll tell the parents that they'll have to ask their 9-year-old to hold off dying until tomorrow because you have to go out for the afternoon," House told her.

"I'm sorry," Cameron mumbled and with that she left before anyone else had the chance to say anything, leaving a confused House, Chase and Foreman to run the differential alone.

MD-MD-MD

Laying on the table Cameron closed her eyes, almost silently she ran through the periodic table alphabetically to try and distract herself from the pain, knowing from past experience that even with the local anaesthetic it would still hurt.

"I'm inserting the needle now," Amanda told her as Cameron felt the pain that came with the aspiration.

Grinding her teeth together Cameron only got as far as C before the procedure was over. "I swear this gets more painful each time."

"And there was me thinking my technique was getting better," Amanda chuckled.

Sitting up Cameron winced at the pain in her hip. "How long?"

"Hopefully by the close of clinic today," Amanda told her as she handed her a pot with two tablets in it.

"What's this?" Cameron asked as she stood up, trying not to let her face show just how much discomfort she was in.

Amanda watched as she tried to put a brave face on it. "It's pain relief."

"I need a clear head," Cameron said as she put the pot on the side.

"It's not anything too strong, you'll still have a clear enough head to drive home, not that I recommend driving but I know from last time that you'll just ignore my recommendations anyway," Amanda sighed. "So please just take the meds, you'll need them to get through the rest of the day at work."

"I-"

Amanda shook her head and smiled. "You didn't have to tell me, after over 2 years I know you pretty well."

"Will you-"

"I'll ring you with the results," Amanda assured her.

Cameron nodded, taking the pot back from the table she headed out into the waiting room, reaching the water cooler she filled a glass with water and gulped down the pills. Closing her eyes she took a few deep breaths before heading back out to the car and back to work.

MD-MD-MD

It had been 14 minutes and 13 seconds since the last time Cameron had looked at her watch and it had been the 14th time that Foreman had observed her checking the time since she returned over 3 hours ago.

"Waiting for someone?" Foreman asked.

Cameron chook her head.

"Then you're waiting for something," Foreman concluded.

Sitting down on one of the chairs Cameron leaned her head against the cool surface in the lab. "Something like that."

"Look if you-"

"I don't need to talk," Cameron snapped.

Foreman sat down next to her, not letting her uncharacteristically moody behaviour put him off. "Cameron-"

Foreman stopped as Cameron's cell phone started to ring, reaching into the pocket of her lab coat she took her phone out, standing up she turned to Foreman. "I should really take this."

As he watched her walk away Foreman couldn't help but fear that there was something wrong with the only female member of the team, but what that something was he didn't have the slightest idea.

Reaching the privacy of a store room Cameron held the phone to her ear. "Sorry about that I had to find somewhere private."

"That's alright," Amanda told her.

Cameron could hear something different in the doctor's tone. "I'm in the accelerated phase aren't I?"

"I'm afraid the biopsy showed 45 blasts which means-"

"I've gone straight to the blast phase," Cameron concluded.

Amanda nodded, looking down at the results in her hand. "I'm sorry. I would like to admit you so we can do an ultrasound with such a fast progressing you could be having a blast crisis, you have a fever-"

"Low grade," Cameron reminded her.

"You said you've been getting increasingly tired," Amanda continued. "So I need to check that you're spleen isn't dangerously enlarged, have you had any pain? Discomfort?"

Cameron slid down to the floor leaning heavily against the wall. "No, no symptoms."

"I still want to admit you," Amanda told her.

"I … there's a few things I need to do first but I'll get there as soon as I can," Cameron assured her.

Putting the results down on the table Amanda leaned back in her chair. "I'll have the nurses page me when you arrive, come to the 5th floor ward."

"Right," Cameron sighed as she closed her phone and tiredly rubbed her eyes.

MD-MD-MD

James Wilson looked up from the stack of charts in front of him to find Allison Cameron leaning heavily on his doorframe.

"Dr. Cameron er … is there something I can help you with?" Wilson asked.

Cameron took a step into the office. "I was wondering if you had a minute?"

"Sure," Wilson replied waiting for Cameron to sit down in the chair opposite him.

Cameron sat down, she could feel her leg shaking but there was nothing she could do to stop it, she could also tell by the way her skin tingled and the fact she could feel her heart racing that her fever was no longer a low grade.

"Is this about your patient-"

Shaking her head Cameron clasped her hands together in her lap. "No that was… she had Kawasaki."

"Then what can I help you with?" Wilson asked taking in her worrying appearance, her face was paler than usual and her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were glassy like she had a fever and her hands were shaking, something that she seemed unaware of.

"I-"

Wilson watched as she struggled to find the words. "Whatever you say to me in these 4 walls in confidential."

"Even from House?" Cameron asked.

"Even from House," Wilson reassured her with a smile.

Cameron looked down a her hands only to find they were shaking. "I … a few months before I started here I had a medical and it showed that I have … I was diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukaemia."

Wilson was shocked, for years he had lived oncology and the fact that someone he had worked alongside had leukaemia and he had not even suspected that there was anything wrong made him question his ability. "I had no idea you look so well."

"And I have been, for the past 2 years it's been controlled by interferon and my blast cell count has stayed below 8 and my side effects have been well controlled other than the injections, routine tests and medications I've been taking to counteract the side effects I've been fine, with the exception of a couple of rough patches," Cameron explained.

Wilson was an expert at reading between the lines and he immediately figured out what she wasn't saying from what she was saying. "But that's not the case anymore?"

Cameron shook her head. "No."

"You've gone from the chronic phase to the accelerated phase?" Wilson asked.

"No," Cameron smiled sadly. "That would be the better case scenario, I seem to have skipped the accelerated phase and gone straight to the blast phase."

Being an oncologist Wilson knew the dangers with that. "What was your blast percentage?"

"45," Cameron told him.

"And your white cell count?" Wilson asked.

Closing her eyes Cameron leaned back into the chair. "120,000," Cameron yawned.

"And how high is your fever?" Wilson asked.

Cameron shrugged. "I'm not sure, this morning it was 101.1."

Standing up Wilson walked over to his shelf, opening a folder he pulled out a single use thermometer.

"You keep thermometers in your office?" Cameron asked with a smile.

Wilson sat down on the chair net to her. "They were a free sample from a drug rep. Now open up."

Obediently Cameron opened her mouth as Wilson placed the thermometer under her tongue, closing her mouth she watched as Wilson took hold of her wrist and checked her pulse.

"Do you have the Philadelphia chromosome?" Wilson asked.

Cameron nodded.

Putting her wrist down Wilson took the thermometer out of her mouth. "You have a temperature of 103.2, you're tachycardic and the shaking of your hands could actually be shivering. 2 out of 3 says you're at risk of a blast crisis and seeing as you're blast count is above 30 I think you should have an ultrasound so we can look at your spleen."

"We?" Cameron asked.

"I'm an oncologist, I mean that is why you came to me isn't it?" Wilson asked.

Cameron shook her head. "I have an oncologist."

"Who?" Wilson asked.

"Amanda Sherwood," Cameron replied.

Wilson nodded, he knew her professionally. "She's good and Sloan Kettering is one of the best. So why did you come to me?"

"I wanted some advice?" Cameron admitted.

"On what?" Wilson questioned.

Cameron closer her eyes, to try and stop the gentle pounding that was starting to build up behind her temples. "I know the available treatments, I've been keeping on top of the most current research ever since I was diagnosed I was just … I wanted to know which course of action you think is best?"

"Well my first suggestion would be to admit you to the hospital, we need to manage the crisis and then treat your infection plus I would place money on you needing a blood transfusion, your platelet count is probably low too seeing as your bone marrow is crammed with so many white blood cells," Wilson deduced.

Cameron nodded. "That's what Amanda said, but before I check into the hospital I want to know what you think is my best long term bet?"

"High dose chemotherapy followed by a stem cell transplant," Wilson said.

"I thought as much," Cameron sighed. "Now I'm in the blast phase my chances still aren't all that good are they?"

Wilson hated questions like this but coming from someone he knew made it even worse. "Now you're in the blast phase it needs to be treated like an acute leukaemia, the chances of remission without a bone marrow transplant are poor and the chances of relapse after a bone marrow transplant are-"

"High," Cameron sighed.

"I'm sorry," Wilson told her.

Cameron leaned her head in her hands. "So am I."

"Do you want me to take you to Sloan Kettering?" Wilson asked.

Cameron lifted her head up and shook her head. "No but thank you."

"I'm not taking no for an answer," Wilson told her.

"I have my car I can drive myself," Cameron reassured him.

Wilson shook his head. "You also have a high white cell count, a low platelet count, low red blood cell count, raging fever and possibly an enlarged spleen any bumps and you could bleed out."

"I'm not planning on crashing my car," Cameron told him. "I plan to fight this not look for an easy way out."

"I didn't-"

"I know but I can still drive myself," Cameron insisted.

Wilson stood up, grabbed his coat off the back of the door and picked up his case and keys. "Maybe so but someone should be with you and I'm guessing no one else knows so that someone will have to be me."

"Ok," Cameron relented knowing that she was fighting a losing battle.

Standing up Cameron didn't protest when Wilson put his hand on her waist and led her out of the hospital. As she climbed into the front passenger's seat of his car Cameron closed her eyes, she was starting to feel the effects of her high temperature and low red cell count now the initial rush of adrenaline had subsided.

"Are you alright?" Wilson asked.

Feeling too tired to lie Cameron shook her head. "No I think I need a top up."

"Top up?" Wilson asked.

"Yeah, a nice unit of red blood cells sounds like it might do the job," Cameron yawned, as she wound the window down to try and ease the burning of her skin.

Wilson turned to Cameron. "Something I've been wondering; you're blood was tested regularly after Foreman stabbed you with the needle how come no abnormalities showed up then?"

"Because I did all the tests," Cameron told him.

"What about after the HIV scare?" Wilson questioned.

Cameron closed her eyes as the cool air started to ease the burning sensation caused by her high fever. "House only took a saliva sample, it wasn't a blood test."

"Why haven't you told anyone?" Wilson asked.

"Because everyone treats you differently, I wouldn't be able to sneeze without being sent home and as soon as I figured out about House's boundary issues I made sure that all my medical records were put in my married name that way if he decided to pull them he would only get my pre-marriage records," Cameron told him.

Wilson couldn't help but smile at her savvy. "Nice pre-emptive strike."

"And a needed one seeing as how House pulled my medical records," Cameron told him.

"Ass," Wilson muttered.

Cameron couldn't help but chuckle at that. "I know."

"Cameron-"

"Nobody finds out about this," Cameron insisted. "Foreman got sick and people treat him differently even though he's better, House got shot and he's well he's House and Chase … well I just don't want anyone finding out, I can deal with this alone."

Wilson hated to think of her going through all of this alone. "What about your family?"

"I don't want to talk, not anymore," Cameron told him as she closed her eyes again to try and ease the growing pounding in her head, she had a big enough fight ahead of her without having to worry about the reactions of everyone else.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

It had been 13 hours and 12 minutes since Wilson had first entered Sloan Kettering, the minute they had entered the ward and Cameron's oncologist Dr. Amanda Sherwood had been called things had happened quickly, they had inserted a centre line into Cameron's neck, scanned her abdomen, started her on hyper hydration and given her blood and platelet transfusions as well as high dose antibiotics, and now 13 hours and 15 minutes later as he watched her sleep Wilson couldn't help but fear that she looked worse than she had before.

Her respiration rate was a lot higher than he would have liked it to be, as was her temperature, an oxygen mask sat over her face and her skin was covered in an angry red rash that had been caused by a reaction to the antibiotics.

Standing up he shook the cramp out of his legs before walking over to the window and opening his cell phone.

"Cuddy it's Wilson, listen I won't be in today so can you have one of my residents cancel my clinic appointments and can you tell House that Dr. Cameron won't be in either, in fact she won't be in for a while she's taking a leave of absence."

"And you're the one telling me this because?" Dr. Lisa Cuddy asked understandably confused, as far as she was aware Wilson and Cameron never interacted outside of a hospital setting.

"I'll explain everything later," Wilson assured her as he hung up his phone and turned his attention back to Cameron who was starting to stir.

Blinking rapidly Cameron noticed Wilson stood at the end of her bed as her vision started to clear. "Hey," she breathed, pulling the oxygen mask down off her face.

"Hey," Wilson echoed.

"What are you still doing here?" Cameron asked as she pulled herself into a sitting position, wincing at the constant sharp ache that seemed to have taken up home in all of her joints.

Wilson shrugged. "I thought someone should be here."

"Has Amanda been back?" Cameron asked.

Wilson shook his head. "She'll be in later this morning."

"Did she say anything to you after I fell asleep?" Cameron asked.

A part of Wilson didn't want to replay the conversation to Cameron but another part of him, the doctor side knew that she had a right to know. "With your counts being so acute she thinks it would be best to start treating you on the AML protocol as soon as you are strong enough. As soon as you're over the pneumonia-"

"Pneumonia?" Cameron asked struggling to remember when it had been said that she had pneumonia.

Shaking his head Wilson silently berated himself for not remembering that the diagnosis of pneumonia had been made while she was in a near comatose state from all the drugs that were being pumped into her. "Amanda ordered an x-ray because she was worried that you're oxygen saturation levels were dropping and you were working hard, she was concerned about respiratory infections and as it turns out she was right, the x-ray showed right and left lower lobe consolidation."

"That would explain the oxygen mask," Cameron sighed as she closed her eyes.

"With the AML treatment she wants to start you on is the 3 drug remission induction therapy consisting-"

"Why the 3 drug course why not just 2?" Cameron asked.

Pulling the chair closer to the bed Wilson sat back down. "She'll be able to explain it better but with such a high count she thinks the use of the 3 drugs will give you a better coverage."

"Ok," Cameron agreed. "How long do you think it will be until we start?"

"I'm not your oncologist," Wilson reminded her. "You really should be talking to Amanda about all this."

Opening her eyes Cameron turned to face him. "What if you were?"

"You have-"

"You're just as good," Cameron insisted.

Wilson sighed, leaning back in the chair. "If you really thought that you would have come to me earlier."

"I hoped no one would ever have to find out, I hoped things would stay like they were, burying my head in the sand was my way of dealing but now … now things are different and-"

"Does that mean you are going to tell House, Foreman and Chase?" Wilson asked.

Cameron shook her head slowly. "At the moment I'm surviving a step at a time."

"Even if I was your oncologist I would still suggest the same combination; daunorubicin, cytarabine and thioguanine is the best step forward," Wilson said leaning forward and pulling the oxygen mask back onto her face as the alarm next to her began to beep steadily to let him know her oxygen saturations were dropping.

Cameron took a series of slow, steady breaths relishing the relief the oxygen gave to her aching lungs. "Then it doesn't matter who my oncologist is."

"If I treat you," Wilson began, his voice slow and tentative. "Then it would have to be at Princeton-Plainsboro and then there would be no way of hiding it."

"Maybe … Maybe I'll stay here then," Cameron breathed.

"Cuddy will need to know," Wilson reminded her.

Cameron nodded. "I know. When you go into work today you can tell her all about it."

Wilson watched as Cameron drifted back off to sleep, he was still there a few hours later when a nurse entered the room carrying a unit of blood. "Counts still low?" he asked.

The nurse nodded. "Dr. Sherwood wants her to get 2 more units of blood and another of platelets."

"Listen I have to go and do a few things, I'll be as quick as I can but can you make sure that someone calls me on my mobile if there's any changes?" Wilson asked.

The nurse nodded. "Of course."

"Anything changes, anything at all and I want to know," Wilson insisted.

Standing up Wilson pulled his jacket on, his shirt was creased from spending the night sleeping in a chair, stubble was starting to grow on his chin and he hoped that his breath didn't smell as bad as his mouth tasted. But as he looked over at the woman sleeping in the bed none of that mattered because everything that he had to moan about paled in comparison to what she was facing.

MD-MD-MD

Entering his office House was shocked to find only 2 of his 3 employees sat at the table discussing the latest case.

"Dr. Cameron still on her little excursion?" he asked tapping his cane against the foot of the whiteboard.

Foreman shook his head. "Nope she's off and according to Cuddy she's off for the foreseeable future."

"Well why don't we all take off?" House said. "I mean it's not like we have jobs to do, it's not like there's sick people that need us to realise that they are sick."

"She probably has a genuine reason," Chase offered.

House leaned heavily on his cane. "Did Cuddy say anything else?"

Foreman shook his head, tapping his pen against his hand. "No. Just said that she was off until further notice."

"Cuddy has to know why," House muttered to himself as he stared at the symptoms on the whiteboard.

FEVER.

MIGRAINE.

SEIZURE.

ABDOMINAL SPASMS.

BLOODY VOMIT.

"Right people let's find that diagnosis and seeing as we're down a player I expect you to bring your full game for once," he told them as he turned his attention away from the blackboard trying not to let himself worry about why Cameron had taken off so suddenly.

MD-MD-MD

Entering her office Cuddy was shocked to find Wilson sat in the chair. His shirt looked like he had been sleeping in it for a week and judging from his dishevelled appearance he probably hadn't slept in weeks.

"So you and Dr. Cameron," Cuddy began as she sat down in her chair. "How long has that been going on and how on earth did you keep it secret from House? The guy is a human lie detector."

"There is no me and Cameron," Wilson told her.

Cuddy narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Really? Then how did you know she won't be coming in?"

"Because I'm an oncologist and she has leukaemia," Wilson replied, getting straight to the point.

"Leukaemia," Cuddy stuttered. "H … How?"

Sighing Wilson replied almost mechanically. "It's caused when the bone marrow-"

"I know how leukaemia occurs," Cuddy snapped. "What I meant is when was she diagnosed and how did I not know about this before now?"

"She was diagnosed about 2 and a half years ago now," Wilson told her. "And the reason we didn't find out until now is because it was being well managed by interferon and she had all her medical records put into her married name because she didn't want anyone knowing," Wilson explained.

Cuddy sighed. "Years? It's chronic?"

"CML," Wilson replied.

"And now?" Cuddy asked.

Wilson closed his eyes, he was exhausted after a sleepless night spent trying to sleep in a hospital chair. "She's progressed rapidly from the chronic to the blast phase, at the moment she's receiving symptom care for her low platelet count, low red cell count and the acute pneumonia that is attacking her lungs."

"Where?" Cuddy wondered trying to take onboard everything she was hearing.

"Sloan-Kettering," Wilson answered.

Cuddy nodded. "Good, I mean that's a good hospital."

"Yeah and the oncologist taking the lead on her case is one of the best," Wilson added.

"What's the plan, long term I mean?" Cuddy wanted to know.

Shifting his position Wilson tried to get comfortable, his back was aching from spending so long in uncomfortable chairs. "At the moment her acute symptoms are stopping them from making any concrete long term plans, they've inserted a central line mainly because she's already received such a high volume of blood and platelet transfusion as well as high dose antibiotics, they were concerned they might have to put her on CPAP as she was working so hard and yet her breathing was still struggling but she seems to be improving on just oxygen. Amanda-"

"Amanda?" Cuddy asked, cutting him off.

"Amanda Sherwood, she's Cameron's oncologist," Wilson explained.

Cuddy nodded. "She's good, really good, we did our internship together."

"Anyway her main concern is that because Cameron has progressed so quickly and become so acutely symptomatic and her white count is still rising despite the hyper hydration she's worried that blood vessels may become blocked, if it continues to rise over the net 12 hours she's going to consider using leukopheresis," Wilson said, making sure that Cuddy had all the information, not just so she knew what Cameron was up against but because being able to share the burden with someone made him feel better, he only wished Cameron would allow other people to know.

Cuddy picked up her pen and began to fiddle with it, something she often did when she didn't know what to say. "How … Is … How is Dr. Cameron holding up?"

"How do you think?" Wilson scoffed.

"I suppose it was a stupid question, it's just for once I don't really know what else to say," Cuddy admitted.

Wilson nodded in agreement. "I know."

"I'm fine when there's a policy or protocol that I can refer to but in times like this I'm just as lost as any other concerned colleague," Cuddy sighed, dropping her pen on the table and leaning back in the chair.

"I was hoping I could take a few days off?" Wilson asked. "Or maybe a week," he added. "I have holiday time saved up and I'd be happy to use that it's just I think someone should be there and as we are the only 2 that know I'd like it to be me."

Cuddy nodded her head slowly. "Of course but listen sooner or later House is going to start asking questions and when he figures out that we know something he won't stop until he finds out."

"I know but this is the way Cameron wants and right now I'm not going to fight her on it, I think she's got a big enough battle on her hands at the moment, don't you?" Wilson sighed as he covered his mouth to try and stop himself from yawning.

"Ok," Cuddy relented. "Take as long as you like I'm sure we can find someone to cover for you."

"And House?" Wilson asked.

Cuddy sighed loudly running her hand through her hair. "I'll tell him that Cameron went on a soul-searching mission to Africa to build houses for the orphans."

"He'll never believe that," Wilson told her.

Cuddy shut her eyes for a few seconds before opening them again. "I know, I'll figure something out, maybe I'll tell him that Cameron's gone back home to look after a sick Auntie or something but I'll find a way to keep him from digging for as long as possible."

MD-MD-MD

Cuddy had hoped she would have at least a few hours to come up with a good cover story from Cameron's absence but she realised she was wrong when the door to her office flew open just 15 minutes after Wilson left to go back to Sloan-Kettering.

"Cameron has taken a leave of absence?" he asked as he stood opposite her desk.

Cuddy looked up from the form in her hand. "You got the memo."

"You sent a memo?" he asked. "Sorry I didn't get it, you see the person that reads my mail for me has decided not to come into work for the foreseeable future."

"House-"

"What does she want this time?" House asked.

Cuddy shook her head. "I-"

"Does she want another date? Maybe she wants me to take her to Paris," House said as he sat down in the chair not long vacated by Wilson.

"No," Cuddy bluntly answered cutting off House's string of suggestions.

House could sense something in Cuddy's demeanour, there was something more to Cameron taking time off than he had first assumed. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing," Cuddy lied.

House shook his head. "No, you're lying, you're doing that thing you do when you lie."

"What thing?" Cuddy asked trying to change the subject.

House saw straight through Cuddy's diversion tactic. "Don't try and change the subject. What is going on with Cameron?"

"She's had to go home for a while," Cuddy lied, knowing the lie was an easy one to unravel but she hadn't had time to think of anything else before being confronted by House.

"Why?" House asked.

Cuddy took a mouthful of her now cold coffee. "Her Aunt is sick."

"And she couldn't tell me this herself because?" House said, drawing out the question.

"Because she didn't have time before her flight, she came straight to me, we sorted out the paperwork and she went to the airport," Cuddy said, surprised at how convincing her lies were beginning to sound.

House's pager beeped bringing the conversation to an end. "When my patient has stopped dying I will get the truth out of you," House vowed as he limped out of her office.

MD-MD-MD

As Wilson opened his eyes he was shocked to find Cuddy opposite him carrying a takeout bag and proper coffee.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, sitting up and removing the coat that had been laying across him like a blanket.

Cuddy held out the coffee. "I thought you might need provisions."

"Thanks," he mumbled taking the steaming hot coffee from her.

"How is she?" Cuddy asked sitting down in the empty chair next to her.

Wilson looked over to the room behind him, the blinds were closed but he could see the shadow of someone moving around. "They started her on leukopheresis about an hour ago."

"Her white count that high?" Cuddy asked surprised that it had come to that.

Wilson nodded. "And her breathing wasn't getting any better despite oxygen therapy and high dose antibiotics so they've put her on CPAP."

"Shit," Cuddy muttered. "I saw her yesterday morning and she looked-"

"I know," Wilson agreed.

Cuddy might have been a doctor but oncology was not one of the areas she was overly familiar with. "Do they know why she got so sick so quick?"

"Amanda figures it could be because everything hit her at the same time completely knocking all of her body systems out, the pneumonia knocked her respiratory system out which in turn put pressure on her cardiac system, the infection knocked her white cells out of sync and it didn't help that it was already taking a hit from her bone marrow which was rapidly producing leukaemia cells leaving no room for healthy cells like red blood cells and platelets," Wilson explained.

"And they're not worried about tumour lysis syndrome?" Cuddy queried.

"They have her on hyper hydration and prophylaxis for that, hopefully after the leukopheresis her white count will head back to normal and she'll be out of the danger zone," Wilson told her.

Putting the bag of takeout down on the table Cuddy leaned back in the chair. "How's she dealing with all this, she must be-"

"She's too out of it to really know what is going on, she's barely awake for more than a few minutes at a time and even then she can't really talk," Wilson replied.

Taking a long sip from her coffee Cuddy winced as the hot liquid burnt her throat. "Is any of her family here?"

"I don't think she has told them," Wilson frowned suddenly realising that with everything happening so quickly he hadn't had time to realise that no one from Cameron's family had to his knowledge even bothered to call and find out how she is.

"Don't you think that's a bit … well weird?" Cuddy asked.

Wilson narrowed his eyes. "Maybe she doesn't have any family."

"She does," Cuddy retorted.

"How can you be so certain?" Wilson wondered.

Cuddy took another sip of her coffee, this time being careful to make sure it didn't burn her throat. "Because she has someone listen as her net of kin."

"How do you know it's a relation?" Wilson asked.

"It's her brother, at least that's what is states in her file," Cuddy informed him.

Wilson looked at her, his eyes full of suspicion. "And you have everyone's file memorised like this?"

"I might have taken a look at it before I left," Cuddy admitted.

"I don't suppose you happened to make a note of the name and contact number?" Wilson asked.

Cuddy nodded sheepishly. "I might have done, you know just in case."

"Is it a local number?" Wilson questioned.

"DC," Cuddy replied.

Wilson opened up the takeout bag to find a selection of foods from the deli down the road. "As in Washington."

"No as in London," Cuddy snarled. "Of course it's Washington?"

"What does her brother do?" Wilson asked, suddenly realising how little they all knew of Cameron, or at least as far as he was aware how little they all knew of Cameron outside the hospital.

Cuddy shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but we could find out."

"We can't call him … can we?" Wilson wondered.

"Why not? I mean his sister is critically ill and he is her emergency contact, he should be here and with what lies ahead Cameron will need all the support she can get and with her refusing to let anyone at work know this seems like the logical option," Cuddy reasoned.

After considering the situation for a few minutes Wilson relented. "Alright, you ring the brother, I'm going to go and sit back in with Cameron, I don't want her to wake up and find she's alone. She's scared enough as it is."

MD-MD-MD

A few hours later Wilson found himself able to breath as Amanda finished bringing him up to date on Cameron's condition, they had taken her off the leukopheresis and her white cell count was reaching safe limits while her breathing had improved enough to allow the CPAP to be replaced by an oxygen mask and then a nasal cannula just a few minutes ago. As Amanda left the room he sunk down in the chair net to the bed watching as Cameron slept, pleased to see that her breathing was better.

"Hey," she breathed opening her eyes and turning to face him.

Wilson smiled at her. "Hey," he echoed.

"How come you're here every time I wake up?" she croaked, her mouth and throat dry.

"Because I have nothing better to do with my time, this way it at least makes it look like I have a life outside work," Wilson joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Cameron smiled. "Glad to be of assistance."

"How are you feeling?" he asked, pleased to see her smile for the first time in what felt like days.

"Tired," Cameron admitted.

Wilson nodded. "I'm not surprised, you've taken quite a hammering over the last 24 hours."

Cameron closed her eyes allowing herself to relax. "And it's only just started," she whispered as she fell back to sleep.

Entering the room for the first time Cuddy was shocked by the young woman's appearance. Cameron's skin was so pale it was practically transparent, she had an angry red rash and large bruises where the doctors had taken blood, lines snaked in and out of her measuring her vitals, giving her fluids and medication and a small plastic tube sat beneath her nose giving her some oxygen to help ease her breathing.

"It is as bad as it looks," Wilson sad as Cuddy cautiously sat down in the chair next to him.

Cuddy didn't say anything instead she turned her attention to the machine recording Cameron's vitals.

"Did you get hold of her brother?" Wilson asked when Cuddy made no move to speak.

Slowly Cuddy tore her gaze away from Cameron and turned to looked at Wilson. "I left a message with his PA, he was busy in a satellite conference call."

"A satellite conference call?" Wilson asked.

Cuddy nodded. "Apparently Cameron's brother doesn't just work in Washington but he works at the White House, he's like in the President's inner circle or something. Anyway he's some important big shot that couldn't be disturbed."

"Not even by the news the that his sister is critically ill?" Wilson asked as he took the news onboard.

Cuddy tapped her fingers against the arm of the chair. "I didn't even get a chance to relay that information. I just said that I was a colleague of his sisters and could he call me as soon as he had the chance because his sister was ill in hospital."

"And?" Wilson asked.

"And she said she would pass on the message," Cuddy sighed as she leaned back in the chair and closed her eyes.

Looking over at the bed Wilson couldn't help but wonder about what else he didn't know about Allison Cameron, he hadn't even known she had a brother let alone one that worked with the President, as he watched her sleep he wondered what other secrets were hidden beneath the surface.


	3. Chapter 3

3.

Pulling off his tie Edward Cameron threw it down on his desk, he had just spent the last 36 hours without any sleep while liaising with people from 7 different countries trying to get people with 7 different opposing opinions to agree with 1 conclusion. Finally after 36 hours they had reached some middle ground and decided to give everyone 4 days to contemplate the progressions made.

"Tina?" he asked picking up his phone and pressing the speed-dial button for his PA.

"Yes Mr. Cameron?" she asked putting her magazine in the drawer and sitting up straight in her chair.

Sitting down at his desk, Edward, or Ed as he was known to most opened a bottle of chilled water that he had grabbed from the vending machine on the way back to his office. "I'm sorry I've kept you here so late," he apologised. "But I was wondering if it would be possible to run through my schedule before you go home?"

"I'll be right in," Tina said as she picked up the file from her desk and replaced the handset.

Minutes later Tina was sat in the chair opposite her boss of 5 years, in that time she had never once known him to lose his composure, that was until now. After she'd finished going over the schedule she relayed his messages to him, he'd taken them all with a tired expression until she got to the one she had received just a few hours ago from a Dr. Lisa Cuddy.

"Dr. Lisa Cuddy of Princeton-Plainsboro called," Tina told him.

At that Ed looked up from the file in his hand. "The hospital?"

"Yes," Tina confirmed. "She said to let you know that Allison Cameron had been taken ill, apparently she was admitted to Sloan-Kettering and as you were her emergency-"

"Did she say what was wrong?" Ed asked, his heart beating at twice the normal speed.

Tina shook her head, as she took in her boss's panicked, almost frightened expression she realised that for the first time in the years she had known him he looked scared. "No just that you should get there as soon as possible."

"And you didn't think to let me know straight away?" he asked angrily, he knew he shouldn't take it out on her but he was scared and fear was an emotion that he didn't know how to deal with.

"You told me not to interrupt you for anything," Tina reminded him.

Standing up Ed grabbed his coat off the hanger behind him. "Yes but this isn't just anything this is my baby sister and she comes first. Before anything else she comes first."

Tina watched as Ed fumbled with the buckle of his bag. "I'm sorry."

"I'm heading to the airport, I expect to be on the first flight to leave the airport heading in that direction when I get there, I don't care what it takes I will be on the flight," he insisted as he headed out of the office and straight for his car, hoping that when he landed at the other end the news that greeted him was better than the horrible scenarios that were running through his mind.

MD-MD-MD

Wilson was shocked when he was woken by the arrival of a tall man in a dark suit and shades. Blinking his eyes he looked up again just to make sure he hadn't been dreaming the first time.

"Who are you?" Ed demanded to know as he took off his shades.

"Dr. James Wilson," Wilson replied as he stood up. "And you are?"

Holding out his hand Ed took a step towards Wilson. "Edward Cameron."

"Cameron's brother," Wilson guessed.

Ed frowned before finally realising what he meant. "You mean Allison, she said something about everyone only ever really being called by their surnames at the hospital. A bit strange if you ask me."

"You haven't met her boss," Wilson muttered.

"Not but I've heard all about him, and the check I had the FBI carry out wasn't all that reassuring either," Ed admitted.

Wilson looked at the other man, his jaw hanging as he took in what he was saying. "You had the FBI check him out?"

"Of course, Allison is my only sister and one of the most precious people in the world to me, you really think I would let her work for someone who had the power to hurt without making sure I had the power to hurt them more first," Ed told him.

Wilson couldn't believe how honest Cameron's brother was when it came to the methods he used to check out House.

"Now talking of Allison," Ed said, his voice softening as his gaze turned to the door behind Wilson. "How is she? On the phone they would only tell me that she was stable."

Taking a deep breath Wilson started to explain. "She's a lot more comfortable now than she has been, the pneumonia is being controlled by the antibiotics and she is now only requiring a few litres of oxygen to help keep her oxygen saturations up, her fever is down and the rash caused by the antibiotics is clearing, her white count is down after the leukopheresis and her red blood cell and platelet counts are up after she received 2 units of platelets and 6 units of blood," Wilson explained.

When Ed didn't say anything Wilson felt the need to explain further. "Her specialist is hoping that they can start the chemotherapy-"

"Wait a minute," Ed interrupted. "Chemotherapy?"

Wilson nodded. "To get the leukaemia into remission before the stem cell transplant."

"L … Leu … Leukaemia," Ed stuttered his face a picture of shock and pain. "Ali has cancer?"

"You didn't know?" Wilson asked surprised by this latest revelation, he had expected Cameron's brother to know considering she was originally diagnosed so long ago.

Ed shook his head, trying to stop himself from crying, there were few ways of getting to him, over the years he had taught himself to be almost impenetrable because he needed to be with his job but there was one weakness and that was his baby sister. Being 18 years older than her he had doted on her when she was born, making sure that if anyone ever hurt her they never did it again but now he was in an unknown situation. Cancer wasn't something that he could scare off, it didn't care that he had a direct line to the president or could dig up the smallest speck of dirt on anyone. For once something was hurting his sister and there was nothing he could do about it.

"No," he whispered.

Wilson looked apologetically at the other man. "I'm sorry."

"So am I," Ed agreed. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to go and see my sister," he said and with that he cautiously entered the door to Cameron's room.

MD-MD-MD

Entering the room Ed approached the bed where his sister lay sleeping, pulling the chair over he sat down next to her, reaching up he ran his hand through her hair.

"You always have to be the strong one Queenie," Ed whispered.

On the bed Cameron stirred, looking up into the eyes of her eldest brother she closed her eyes tightly, worried that one of the many drugs she was on was causing her to hallucinate.

"Hey Queenie," Ed smiled.

Cameron opened her eyes again to find her brother still sat on the chair next to her. "Ed," she croaked.

"Yeah it's me," Ed replied.

"What are you doing here?" Cameron asked, opening her eyes properly and pulling herself into a sitting position.

Standing up Ed helped Cameron sit up. "Where else would I be?"

"DC," Cameron croaked.

"Why would I be there when you need me here?" Ed asked.

Cameron pushed the button to sit the back of the bed up. "How did you even know?"

"Your boss called me, I'm your next of kin," Ed answered as he repositioned her pillow.

Leaning back against the bed Cameron licked her lips to try and bring some moisture to them. "Did they tell you that I have leukaemia?"

"Yes. But what I want to know is why couldn't you tell me?" Ed asked her, trying to make sure that he didn't sound angry.

"I wanted to, really I did because if there was anyone I would want to be here it was you but after everything I didn't want to put you out, you have a life, a job, a girlfriend, you gave up your whole early adult life raising me I didn't want you to give up your midlife crisis too," Cameron smiled.

Ed shook his head. "Don't ever think that. All I have to do is look at the amazing young woman you have become and I know it was time well spent."

"Ed-"

"Queenie we don't need to do the whole tearful thank you thing, we've both got years ahead of us to do that," Ed assured her. Looking over at Cameron Ed watched as she fiddled nervously with the edge of her blanket. "Has anyone called the terrible 2?"

"If I was reluctant to tell you I'm not exactly going to be jumping to tell them am I?" Cameron asked.

"So I'm guessing dad doesn't know either?" Ed asked.

Cameron shook her head. "And even if he did he wouldn't care, there would probably be something more interesting on TV than being here."

"That's not true," Ed told her.

"Yes it is," Cameron smiled sadly.

Reaching out Ed took hold of his sisters hand. "He cares about you, he just doesn't know how to show it."

"No, he blames me still, he's always blamed me," Cameron whispered.

"He was grieving," Ed reminded her.

Slowly Cameron shook her head. "That excuse worked for a few years but it's been 28 years now, I think it's time we just all accepted the fact that he'll never want me in his life."

"I'm not going anywhere," Ed vowed as he saw the hurt in his sister's eyes.

Squeezing his hand Cameron smiled. "I know and when you're here I don't need anyone else."

"I know you don't want me too but I'm going to call the terrible 2," Ed said, knowing that Cameron would protest.

"Ed-"

Holding up his other hand Ed cut her off. "No Ali, if we don't tell them they will never forgive us, they're your brothers too, they have a right to know, they would want to be here."

"But Billy has Josh and Karen to think of, they need him more than I do," Cameron argued.

"It's not a case of who needs him more, it's a case of being here as a family, Karen won't mind she loves you too," Ed reminded her.

Cameron looked up at her brother, her green eyes full of fear. "And Jack's in Iraq we don't even know how to contact him-"

"I have ways," Ed assured her.

"There not just going to let him fly home," Cameron croaked, her throat sore from talking.

Ed ran his hand softly through her hair. "No but they will let him have compassionate leave, I'll see to it."

"I'm tired," Cameron yawned, closing her eyes.

"Then go to sleep," Ed suggested.

Opening her eyes Cameron looked at him. "Will you … will you …"

"I'll be here when you wake up," Ed promised her, he knew that despite her protests that she didn't need them that as soon as Billy and Jack arrived Cameron would be pleased to see them. As he watched her breathing settle and once he was satisfied she was asleep he left to make some phone calls because it was times like this that they needed to stick together as a family.

MD-MD-MD

Carefully Wilson helped Cameron into the chair, for the first time in 3 days she was starting to feel like herself, her counts were all nearly normal, she no longer required oxygen to help her breath and she'd been freed from all her lines so she could have a shower and get dressed.

"So I met your brother," Wilson smiled as he sat down in the chair next to her.

Grinning Cameron rested her arm on the side of the chair. "I bet that was interesting."

"That's one word for it, he sure is a … character," Wilson said as he took a mouthful of juice.

"That's one way of putting it," Cameron teased.

Handing Cameron a glass of juice Wilson picked up a croissant from the array of breakfast stuff that Ed had brought in for her. "He sure is protective of you."

"He always has been," Cameron said as she gulped down the juice before picking up a croissant.

"You must have been really close growing up," Wilson observed as he watched Cameron tuck hungrily into a danish.

Cameron nodded as she swallowed her mouthful of danish, it had been so long since she had eaten proper food that she had almost forgotten what it tasted like. "Ed raised me, he was my brother, mother and father."

"What about your parents?" Wilson asked, he didn't want Cameron to feel pressured but at the same time he was intrigued, over the past few days he had grown to care for her and respect her in a way that he hadn't before.

Cameron sighed as she swallowed the last of her danish, no one at work knew about her family but after everything Wilson had done for her over the past couple of days she felt like she owed him an explanation. "My mother died giving birth to me and my father never got over it, he blamed me and refused to have anything to do with me, when I was little I was desperate for him to notice me but he didn't all he noticed was drink and tv, so my brothers raised me."

"Brothers?" Wilson asked, he had assumed it was only Cameron and Ed.

"Yes, I have 3 older brothers, Ed is the oldest he's 18 years older than me and Billy and Jack are non-identical twins, they're 15 years older than me," Cameron explained.

Wilson immediately picked up on the age gap. "So you were a bit of a surprise."

"My mother always wanted a girl," Cameron sighed sadly, the grief she felt at never knowing her mother was obvious in her tone and the way her eyes lost something as she spoke.

"So 3 brothers that had to be interesting?" Wilson asked changing the subject.

Cameron laughed gently. "You know the film _3 Men and a Little Lady?_"

Wilson nodded. "I've seen both."

"Well growing up was a bit like that, Ed was my main caretaker but Billy and Jack were always around and doing their bit to help out, at least there was never a dull moment," she laughed as Ed entered the room.

Dumping the multitude of shopping bags onto the bed Ed took in Cameron's appearance, her hair was wet from the shower and tied back in a messy ponytail, she was wearing a Stamford hooded top and a pair of jeans with thick fluffy socks on but what struck him most of all was the colour of her skin, for the first time since he had arrived she has a rosy tint to her cheeks and her lips weren't an awful bloodless shade.

"You look good Queenie," he told her.

"Queenie?" Wilson asked lowering his brows in confusion.

Cameron shook her head. "It's a stupid childhood nickname that I don't appear to have ever been able to lose, the boys used to call me Queenie because apparently I was Queen of the house growing up."

"You might have been the youngest and the only girl but you sure were the boss," Ed reminded her.

"So anyone up to helping me break out of this joint?" Cameron asked.

Wilson and Ed shared a look of concern.

"I don't mean for good," Cameron assured them. "It's just I'm going to be stuck in here for weeks when the chemo starts and my immune system in knocked out so I just want a few days out of here before it all starts," she explained.

Wilson understood what she was getting at. "I'll speak to Amanda."

"Thank you," Cameron smiled gratefully.

"I brought you some clothes," Ed offered as he motioned to all the bags. "I got all your sizes from one of the nurses and just had the shop assistant give me all the necessities in that size."

Cameron took in the huge mountain of bags. "What would I do without you?"

"You'd be struck wearing scrubs," Wilson said pleased that Cuddy had called Ed, just having him around had seemed to lift Cameron's spirit.

Ed looked at what was left of the breakfast banquet he had brought. "Someone was hungry."

"I haven't had anything substantial to eat in a week," Cameron said in her defense.

"I'll go and see if I can track down Amanda," Wilson offered grabbing a handful of grapes to take with him.

Sitting down in the chair that Wilson had just left Ed picked up a strawberry. "He seems like a decent bloke."

"Did you get that from talking to him or did you come to that conclusion after having one of your friends perform a background check on him?" Cameron asked knowingly.

Ed smiled sheepishly. "I might have had some help coming to that conclusion."

"And his many divorces didn't bother you?" Cameron asked.

"Ross always my favourite friend," Ed joked.

Cameron rolled her eyes. "Be serious."

"If I for a moment thought there was any chance of something even slightly romantic between the 2 of you it might concern me but as that's never going to happen no it doesn't concern me," Ed explained.

"What makes you say there is nothing romantic there?" Cameron wondered.

Ed laughed out loud but stopped when Cameron shot him a warning look. "Oh you were being serious?"

"Yes," Cameron answered bluntly.

"Because he's not your type Queenie," Ed answered surprised by his sisters reaction.

Cameron looked at him. "In what way?"

"In every way," Ed answered.

"Why?" Cameron wondered.

Ed grabbed a handful of strawberries. "Because he's too much of an open guy, he seems like the type of guy where what you see if what you get and you've never liked that, you always like your guys to come with a mystery for you to unravel."

"Since when did you become so insightful?" Cameron asked.

Ed swallowed his mouthful of strawberry before answering her. "Ever since you sent me those stupid self help books as a joke."

"You read them?" Cameron chuckled.

Ed nodded. "Of course."

"From cover to cover and not just the blurb?" she wondered.

"From cover to cover," Ed assured her.

Cameron couldn't help but laugh. "I never expected you to actually read them, I thought you might have given them to Tina."

"No, I read them all myself," Ed said as he took a sip of his now warm coffee.

"That's hours of your life you'll never get back," Cameron teased.

Entering the room Wilson held up 3 fresh cups of coffee. "I come bearing coffee and good news, Amanda said that as your chemotherapy isn't scheduled to start for 8 days you can go home on leave until Thursday."

"But that's only 5 days," Cameron pointed out.

"I know," Wilson said. "But she wants you back before because they need to do pre-chemo tests before they can start you on chemotherapy."

Cameron stood up holding on to the side of the bed as she still wasn't back to her full strength. "Well at least I get to escape for 5 days."

MD-MD-MD

4 days after the last time she was there Cameron entered her apartment only this time Ed was close behind her carrying her bags.

"This is very …"

"Very what?" Cameron asked as she sat down on the sofa, the journey home had exhausted her.

Putting the bags down Ed sat down next to Cameron. "It's very feminine."

"Well I am a girl," Cameron pointed out.

"Yeah but you grew up with 3 brothers so that should have had some influence," he teased.

Laying down Cameron rested her head on one of the cushions. "I'm rebelling."

Watching as his sister fell back to sleep Ed moved into the guest bedroom, pulling out his mobile phone he dialled Billy's number. "Hey Karen is Billy there?"

"No you just missed him, as soon as he got off the phone with you he booked a flight," Karen explained.

Ed nodded. "If he rings can you tell him to come to Allison's flat, the doctors have let her come home for a few days."

"How is Allison?" Cameron asked.

"Sleeping," Ed replied. "She's over the worst of the infection and she's getting stronger, they're going to start her chemotherapy in just over a week and that will be when the real fight starts."

Karen rested the phone under her chin as she picked up her 8-month-old son. "Tell Allison I'm thinking of her."

"I will," Ed promised. "And give that nephew of mine a kiss from."

Hanging up the phone Ed made a series of phone calls before he was finally able to get hold of Jack.

"Hey Bro, long time no hear," Jack greeted as he sat down.

Ed ran his hand tiredly through his hair, telling Billy had been hard enough but telling Jack would be even harder, out of all 3 of them Jack always wore his heart on his sleeve.

"How are you?" Ed asked.

"I'm fine, but you didn't call to ask me that did you? What is it? What's happened?" Jack asked.

Ed took a deep breath. "It's Queenie."

"What's happened, is she … is she alright?" Jack stuttered as he stood up and paced across the small room.

"She's got leukaemia," Ed said, getting straight to the point.

Leaning against the solid concrete wall Jack shook his head. "No. Not Queenie."

"You need to come home," Ed told him.

"I can't," Jack cried. "They won't let me and I don't have leave for another 3 months."

Ed had expected this answer so luckily he had already sorted it. "I arranged for you to hace compassionate leave, they are giving you a month with the option for a second."

"Thank you and Ed?" Jack asked.

"Yes?" Ed sighed laying down on the bedroom in Cameron's guest room.

"Tell Queenie that I'll be there as soon as I can and that she's not alone," Jack requested as he hung up the phone and leaned heavily on the door. The idea of his little sister having to go through this was tearing at him, he didn't even want to think what would happen if the treatment didn't work, losing their mother had been hard enough but if anything happened to Allison it would destroy all 3 of them.

**Just a little note: Thanks for the reviews, sorry but it's a bit slow burning at the moment and I hope the introduction of 3 new characters doesn't put everyone offf, I also know it's a bit like The Waltons take 2 at the moment but it will get back to being about the main players in time. And lastly I apologise for any medical innacuracies but my oncology knowledge is limited and the www can only tell you so much if you don't know where to look **


	4. Chapter 4

4.

Entering the apartment Ed threw the keys down on the telephone table, entering the kitchen he emptied out the shopping bags before putting on a fresh pot of coffee.

"Queenie?" he called out as he made his way back into the lounge.

"In here," Cameron called from her bedroom.

Approaching the door Ed knocked. "Is it safe to come in?"

"Yep," Cameron mumbled her mouth full of strawberry ice-cream.

Sitting down on the bed Ed grabbed the spoon from Cameron helping himself to a large mouthful of ice-cream. "Did anyone ever tell you that ice-cream at 9 in the morning is not a healthy option?"

"My older brother did but he's so wrapped around my little finger that he'll let me get away with anything," Cameron teased.

"Poor sucker," Ed muttered.

Lying back against the mountain of pillows behind her Cameron selected the next programme from her TIVO list.

"You TIVO General Hospital?" Ed observed.

Cameron smiled as an episode from a few weeks back started. "Sh, it's really interesting at the moment."

"General Hospital?" Ed asked trying to keep the laughter from his voice.

"It's good," Cameron said in defence of her latest TV habit.

Ed shook his head, letting out a little snort of laughter. "In what world is General Hospital good viewing."

"In mine," Cameron replied. "Now shut up and let me watch it, it's the only peace I'm going to get what with Wilson coming around later and Billy and Jack due to arrive anytime."

Giving in Ed leaned back to sit through hours of torturous TV, they had got 5 minutes into the first episode when they were interrupted by someone knocking on the door. "Saved by the bell," he smiled as he got up to answer it.

Pushing himself up off the bed Ed opened the door to find his younger brother Billy stood at the door, suitcase in one had and a large bunch of flowers in the other, no words were needed as Ed pulled Billy into his arms, as he pulled back from the hug the angry red rim around his brothers eyes told him that he had been crying.

"How are you holding up?" Ed asked as he led Billy into the flat.

Billy shrugged. "It's all so unreal, I only saw her a few months ago at Josh's christening, she looked fantastic, glowing in fact."

"I remember," Ed recalled.

"How is she doing?" Billy needed to know.

Ed looked over at the half open door. "Why don't you go and find out for yourself."

"In a minute, first I need to freshen up, the last thing she needs is to see me falling apart. Is Jack coming?" Billy asked.

Ed nodded. "He should be somewhere over the Atlantic at the moment."

"How did he take it?" Billy wondered.

"It's hard to tell from a phone call but he sounded like he was trying not to cry," Ed said as he recalled his brief phone conversation with Jack.

Knowing that sooner or later someone would have to broach the subject Billy figured that now was as good a time as any. "Has anyone told dad?"

"Ali doesn't want him to know," Ed replied.

"I can't say I blame her but he should know, he'll never forgive any of us if he finds out we didn't tell him about something as important as this," Billy reasoned.

Ed sat down on the sofa. "Do you remember when she was really sick around her 9th birthday?"

"You were convinced she had meningitis," Billy recalled sitting down next to him.

"Do you remember what dad said?" Ed asked.

Billy could remember clearly what his dad had said but he still felt the need to defend him. "He was worried and grieving."

"He said she should have died 9 years ago instead of mum," Ed reminded him.

"I know but-"

Ed held up his hand. "No, no buts, Ali is his daughter and he has never once considered her feelings, I don't care how hurt he will be if she doesn't want him to know he's not finding out. At this very moment I don't care about what is best for him, I care about what is best for her and that's respecting her wishes."

"I didn't have meningitis though," Cameron smiled, making her presence known.

Standing up Billy took a step towards his sister. "Hey you."

"Do I get a hug or is it a boy thing?" Cameron asked as she moved towards her brother.

"Of course you get a hug," Billy said as he pulled her into his arms and held her close to him, after a few minutes they pulled apart and both made their way over to the sofa where Ed was still sat.

Ed moved up to make room for both of them. "No, it was a self inflicted illness, you made yourself sick sneaking out to sleep in the tree house with a stray dog."

"Well if you had let me keep him in the house I wouldn't have had to sleep in the tree house," Cameron reminded him.

Ed laughed at the memory. "You got your own way in the end though."

"As always," Billy added with a smile as the 3 siblings all burst into a fit of laughter, none of them wanting to darken the mood by mentioning the real reason they were here.

MD-MD-MD

"Well, well, well if it isn't the one and only Dr. Wilson," House called as he limped after his friend.

Wilson stopped at the pharmacy counter. "What are you doing here on a Sunday?"

"What are you doing here at all? I was beginning to think you had retired and forgot to invite me to the party," House retorted.

Wilson turned to face his friend. "Yeah well I had other commitments."

"Ones that you forgot to mention?" House asked.

"I didn't think it was important," Wilson lied, he hated keeping his friend in the dark but he had made a promise to Cameron and he had no intention of breaking it.

House tapped his fingers against the counter. "You didn't think it was important. First Cameron takes a-"

Stopping mid sentence House watched as an unfamiliar look passed across his friends face at the mention of the young doctors name.

"What are you hiding?" he asked.

"Nothing," Wilson lied.

House shook his head. "It's not nothing, it's something and that something is related to the absence of my immunologist."

"Look just because you can't keep track of your team it doesn't mean I'm hiding something from you," Wilson snapped.

Surprised by his friends uncharacteristic outburst House stopped tapping his fingers, there was something serious going on, something they were keeping from him. "What is going on with Cameron?"

"I don't know," Wilson mumbled.

"Don't lie to me," House ordered.

Wilson shook his head. "You're not my boss."

"No but I am your friend," House retorted. "And I'm Cameron's boss."

"When it suits you," Wilson muttered.

House looked at his friend. "What?"

"Nothing?" Wilson hedged.

House wanted to know what was going on, after his conversation with Cuddy he had been pacified for all of 15 minutes about Cameron's sudden leave of absence but then when he had recalled the conversation in his head there had been something in Cuddy's body language that he couldn't place. And now stood opposite his oldest friend he could see that he was hiding something too and the only thing the 2 conversations had in common was Allison Cameron.

"What is going on with Cameron?" House asked again, this time his voice was laced with a vulnerability that Wilson had rarely seen in his friend before.

Wilson looked down at his shoes. "I don't know, she's on your team, you're more likely to know than me."

"No you and Cuddy know something," House insisted.

"What makes you say that?" Wilson asked.

House grabbed hold of Wilson's hand. "Your palms are sweaty, your eyes are blinking rapidly, your heart rate is probably fast and you keep looking at your feet. All classic signs that you're lying now I know Cuddy knows something so I want to know what it is you both know and don't want me finding out."

"I-"

And then it hit House with the force of a freight train, all the signs were there, the secret phone calls Cameron was receiving in the day before she took off, the way she had been dragging herself, her nervous disposition, the pale colour of her skin and the flush in her cheeks and now Wilson and Cuddy's strange reactions whenever the young immunologist was mentioned.

"Cameron's sick?" he asked.

Wilson could feel sweat beginning to form on his brow. "I-"

"How sick?" House demanded to know.

Shaking his head Wilson wiped his brow with the back of his hand. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Just tell me?" House demanded.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Wilson repeated hoping that the more he said it the more House would believe him.

House grabbed hold of Wilson's shoulder as the other doctor started to leave. "Just tell me, is she alright?"

The desperation in House's voice was almost unbearable for Wilson to deny but he had to for Cameron's sake, he knew that in his own way House cared about Cameron but he also knew that if he told him when she had specifically asked him not to it could ruin the relationship between them and right now that was the last thing he wanted to do because he needed to be there for Cameron. Even if it meant jeopardising his relationship with House.

MD-MD-MD

Storming into Cuddy's office as fast as his one good leg would take him House hit his cane against her desk.

"What is going on with Cameron?" House demanded to know.

Standing up behind her desk Cuddy took in his determined stance. "She's gone to visit a sick relative."

"Don't give me that shit," House warned.

"I'm just telling you what she told me," Cuddy lied.

Banging his cane against the floor House shook his head. "No you know something and Wilson he knows something too but what I don't understand is why no one wants me to know. Now you're the big boss you knowing makes sense but I'm Cameron's boss not Wilson if anyone should know it should be me and not him I mean they hardly know each other the only time they interact is when it's a case that involves oncology-"

As he said it the final piece of the puzzle fell into place, he didn't want it to be true but all the pieces fit so well that he couldn't help but fear he had hit the nail on the head.

"Cameron has cancer," House said, and it was more of a statement than a question.

Cuddy sat back down in her chair, running her hands through her hair she sighed loudly. "I didn't say that. No one said that."

"No one had to," House said, he didn't know what he was feeling, he didn't know what he was supposed to be feeling, all he knew is that his stomach hurt he felt sick and more than anything he ached with the need to see Cameron, to make sure she was breathing with his own eyes.

Cuddy looked over at House. "Look just because-"

"Don't try and tell me it's not true, I can see it written all over your face," House warned her.

Cuddy looked up at her colleague. "Don't blame Wilson."

"What type?" House asked, ignoring the subject of his best friend.

"House I can't-"

"What type?" House shouted, his cane dropping to the floor.

Cuddy knew she had 2 options, she could either tell House and break Cameron's trust or she could refuse to tell him and he would find out some other way.

House looked up at her. "Lisa-"

"No, no, no you don't get to manipulate me," she warned him.

"I just I want to know … no I need to know what she's up against because cancer that's a big word with so many different meanings," House babbled.

Cuddy was shocked, House never babbled, he did many things he was rude, sarcastic, abrasive and most of the time annoying but he never babbled.

"CML," she answered after a moments silence.

"That's rare," he breathed as he silently recalled everything he could about CML.

Cuddy nodded. "She didn't want people knowing, not yet anyway."

"What stage?" House asked ignoring her.

"She deteriorated rapidly into the blast phase which is why she had to take time off so suddenly," Cuddy explained.

House nodded, leaning down and picking up his cane. "How long had she known before that?"

"Over 2 years," Cuddy replied.

"Where is she? Where is she being treated?" House asked.

Cuddy shook her head, knowing she had to draw the line somewhere. "That I can't tell you."

"Right," House muttered, standing up he realised that for once he would have to chose his battles carefully, leaning on his cane he headed towards her door.

"Where are you going?" Cuddy asked.

Stopping House didn't even bother turning to face her. "To find someone that can tell me."

MD-MD-MD

Ed and Billy sat on the sofa trying to make as little noise as possible, as they took in the sight next to them, Cameron lay fast asleep on the sofa, a cushion hugged closely to her and a blanket thrown across her.

"So is she sleeping a lot?" Billy asked, keeping his voice low.

Adjusting the blanket Ed nodded. "But apparently that's to be expected, her body has taken a real hammering what with the sudden acceleration in the leukaemia cells and then the pneumonia."

"I still can't believe she's know for 2 years and didn't say a word, I thought we were close, I thought she could come to us about anything," Billy sighed.

"She had her reasons," Ed said even though he was just as hurt.

Billy shook his head. "But none of them mattered, we should have known, we should have been there for her but we didn't know no one did, she was all alone, she had to go through this all alone when she didn't have to."

Ed completely understood his brothers frustration, from the minute she had been born all 3 of them would have done anything for their little sister, she was hard work but worth it and to think that she hadn't felt she could tell them something as important as this after everything they had all been through together hurt him in a way nothing else ever had.

"We're here now though," Ed reminded him. "And we're not going anywhere through all of it; the vomiting, the chemotherapy, the hair loss and what ever else is to come one of us will always be here we need to make sure of that."

Knowing his brother was right Billy nodded. "It's a promise."

"I was thinking if Ali's up to it we could all go out for dinner tonight or if she's not up to it we could rent a movie and order in," Ed suggested.

A loud knocking on the door woke Cameron from her nap. "Hmmm," she mumbled.

"It's alright I'll get it," Ed offered standing up.

Opening the door Ed found himself face to face with an angry man with a cane who looked like he hadn't seen the business end of a razor in weeks. Almost immediately he recognised the man from his DMV photo.

"Dr. Gregory House," Ed observed.

House looked at the man wondering who he was, what he was doing in Cameron's apartment and more importantly how he knew his name. "Well you know who I am which means I should know who you are but I don't."

"I know, that's because we've never met before, I just know all about you," Ed replied.

"And you are?" House asked.

Ed eyed the other man suspiciously, he looked on edge and angry which was the last thing his sister needed right now. "Edward Cameron."

"Cameron's dad," House said not earning himself any points.

"Allison's brother," Ed corrected.

House leaned on his cane. "Oops my mistake."

Billy joined them at the door. "Do you mind keeping the noise down."

"And you must be-"

"Billy Cameron," he offered holding out his hand.

House ignored the outstretched hand. "Ah the old good brother bad brother routine."

"Actually it's the good, the bad and the ugly according to Queenie," a tall man dressed in army clothes offered as he dumped his rucksack on the floor.

"Any more of you planning on crawling out of the woodwork?" House questioned as he felt like he was surrounded by Cameron's 3 brothers.

Shuffling slowly to the door Cameron wrapped the blanket around her shoulders. "No there's just the 3 of them."

"Hey Queenie," Jack smiled as he pulled his sister to him, afraid to let her go. "Sorry I couldn't get here sooner."

"That's ok," Cameron mumbled into his shoulder. "You're here now."

Releasing her he ruffled her hair playfully. "And I'm not going anywhere."

"What are you doing here House?" Cameron asked turning her attention to her boss.

House shrugged. "My mail needed opening."

Oblivious to the looks he was getting from her 3 brothers House took a step towards Cameron. "You just took off when there was sick people depending on you, that's not like you."

"Don't pretend you were worried," Cameron teased.

"You should have told me," House whispered, his voice low and more caring than Cameron had thought possible.

Cameron looked at him, hoping that he didn't mean what she thought he did. "Told you what?"

"That Brad and Jen have split," House said. "What do you think I mean?"

"Who told you?" Cameron asked, her voice nothing more than a whisper.

House shook his head. "No one, I worked it out then when I confronted Cuddy her denial told me everything I needed to know."

"I … I … didn't … this …" Cameron didn't know what to say, she felt like the walls were closing in on her, soon everyone would know and that was exactly what she didn't want, she didn't want people knowing because then they would look at her differently and treat her differently.

Stepping forward so he was between House and Cameron Ed faced the other man. "I think you should leave."

"I came to talk to Cameron," House protested.

"Well she obviously doesn't want to talk to you," Ed pointed out.

House could feel 3 pairs of eyes on him, facing Cameron he watched as she buried her head in Jack's shoulder. Knowing when he was defeated he nodded. "If you need anything you know where I am," he offered and with that he left, leaving Cameron in the safe hands of her brothers.


	5. Chapter 5

5.

Sitting in the darkness of his office House rolled a single vicodin tablet between his fingers, closing his eyes he swallowed it knowing that all the pain medication in the world couldn't take away the pain he felt. The ache in his leg was nothing compared to the indescribable feeling of complete loss that had washed over him as he had walked away from Cameron's apartment.

When Foreman was sick he had been able to get through it by doing what he always did; finding out what was wrong so he could make him better. This was different though, this was Cameron and not only did he already know what was wrong with her but he knew that even with the advances in modern medicine that there was a chance she wouldn't beat the leukaemia that was waging a war against her body.

Just the thought of her dying was enough to make him reach out for his bottle of vicodin, popping off the lid he threw 2 tablets into his mouth. He couldn't lose Cameron, coming into work without her would be like playing the piano in a silent world; there would be no point to it.

"I thought I might find you here," Wilson sighed as he sat down on the floor next to his friend.

House put the bottle of vicodin in his pocket. "Well in that case please collect your prize and leave."

"House-"

"I've got nothing to say to you," House insisted.

Wilson shook his head. "I wanted to tell you."

"Still got nothing to say to you," House reiterated.

Wilson knew that House would have something to say about him keeping Cameron's illness a secret from him but he hadn't expected this. His friend wasn't angry, he wasn't even being sarcastic instead he was just … hurt.

"Cameron didn't want anyone to know," Wilson explained, even though House had claimed he wasn't listening.

House banged his head gently against the wall. "Are you still here?"

"She was in a bad way, her red blood cells and platelet counts were in her boots and her white cell count was through the roof, she had so many white blood cells in her that there was no room for anything else, they had to put her on leukopheresis to stabilise her and add to that the pneumonia that was attacking her lungs and oxygen was having a hard time getting anywhere so she ended up needing CPAP," Wilson explained even though no one was listening to him.

Tapping his cane against his foot House stared straight ahead of him. "She looked fine when I saw her."

"She was, right up until she wasn't and from there it all went downhill fast but she was lucky she also got over the acute onset quickly, now she just has to face 3 possibly 4 cycles of high dose chemotherapy, intense pre-conditioning including total body irradiation and the gruelling effects of a stem cell transplant," Wilson informed him.

House wasn't ready to forgive Wilson but he needed to know what he knew. "They're putting her straight for transplant?"

"After high dose chemo, she's progressed so rapidly into the blast phase that her specialist is convinced it will be her best option and with her unfavourable cytogenetics it may be her only option," Wilson explained.

"What about you?" House asked.

"What about me?" Wilson wondered.

House stopped tapping his cane against his foot. "Do you think it's her best option."

"I think it's her only option," Wilson answered truthfully.

Closing his eyes House let Wilson's words sink in. "And what do you think her chances are?"

"It's hard to say," Wilson sighed. "She needs to go into remission after the high dose chemo so they can start the transplant, and then she has to fully engraft with the donor marrow and if she makes it through all that there is still a high chance she could relapse and if she does relapse-"

"It'll be the last thing she does," House finished for him.

Wilson nodded. "Not quite the way I would have put it but yes. If she relapses after transplant there is no available treatment."

"She could have told me," House muttered.

"Because you're so approachable," Wilson retorted.

Reaching in his pocket House took out his bottle of vicodin. "For over 2 years I've worked alongside her and I had no idea, there has been so many times when I should have picked up on something-"

"I'm an oncologist and I had no idea," Wilson reminded his friend.

"When does she start treatment?" House asked.

Wilson took the bottle of vicodin from House. "In a week."

"I met Cameron's brothers, I didn't know she had 1 brother let alone 3, I mean she's such a … female that I really didn't expect her to have grown up around so much testosterone," House observed.

"Ed is certainly an interesting character," Wilson smiled.

House ignored Wilson's comment. "Her mother must have been a huge influence."

"Her mother died when she was born," Wilson sighed, not sure whether or not he should be telling House this, Cameron hadn't told him not to but she hadn't exactly asked to have it broadcasted either.

"How-"

Wilson shrugged. "She was vulnerable, being scared makes people open up."

"And you just happened to be there," House scoffed.

"There is nothing going on," Wilson assured his friend. "We're just friends."

House took his bottle of vicodin back from Wilson. "Tell that to your harem of ex-wives."

"You know what I thought you deserved an explanation but I was wrong, you don't deserve anything and if Cameron has any sense she'll keep you at arms length because the last thing she needs is you bringing her down any more," Wilson raged.

Getting to his feet Wilson shook his head, he has expected House to put his own insecurities aside to understand what Cameron was going through but once again he had expected more than House could give. Stopping at the door he watched as House threw the bottle of vicodin between hands as he sat alone in his darkness of his office, turning his back on his friend Wilson left him alone with nothing but a bottle of vicodin for company and a pain it wouldn't ease.

MD-MD-MD

Dragging her feet heavily across the car park Cameron sat down on the bench, her limbs ached with the effort it had taken to get herself out of bed, dressed, in the car and drive to the hospital all the while trying desperately not wake Ed.

Minutes after Cameron sat down she spotted a familiar face exit the building, she tried to hide her face in her hands but it was no use, he had already seen her.

"Hey," Foreman frowned, sitting down next to her.

"Hey," Cameron echoed.

Putting his bag down on the bench next to him Foreman turned to face his colleague. "I heard you had gone home, something about a sick relative."

"None of my relatives are sick," Cameron replied, her voice almost robotic.

"Oh," Foreman breathed, unable to decipher what it was about her body language that was making him so uneasy.

Cameron closed her eyes, she couldn't believe how tired she was as over the past few days she had done nothing but sleep. "It's just me."

"It's just you that's what?" Foreman asked, not getting what she meant.

Cameron opened her eyes. "It's me that's sick."

"What? How?" there weren't many times that he was lost for words but this was one of them.

"Leukaemia," Cameron answered after all there was no point in trying to keep it hidden how, now when so many people now knew.

Foreman sat there a while not knowing what to say, until finally he was able to say one word. "When?"

"A few years ago," she replied putting her hands between her knees to stop them shaking.

"I … I don't understand," Foreman stuttered not getting how if she was diagnosed so long ago he was only finding out now.

Cameron was almost fed up of explaining to people, especially doctors. "I have CML."

"Why didn't you say something?" Foreman wondered.

Something inside Cameron snapped. "Why do you care? It's not like we're friends."

"That's not fair," Wilson retorted.

"Neither is stabbing me with a needle or stealing my article," Cameron raged.

Not used to seeing this side to Cameron Foreman didn't know what to say or do, he was used to Cameron playing the peacemaker and wanting everyone to get alone, he wasn't used to her being so combative.

"Cameron-"

"Surely when you're dying it gives you the chance to tell people the truth," Cameron said, cutting him off. "If I can't say this stuff now when can I say it?"

Foreman shook his head. "You're not dying."

"Not yet but even with treatment I have a what … 30 chance of beating this thing, it's hardly great odds," Cameron replied.

"How can you be so glib?" Foreman asked.

Cameron shrugged. "Why not? There's nothing like dying to make you re-evaluate your life."

"You're not dying," Foreman repeated.

"Maybe not today," Cameron sighed. "But I have leukaemia, I have months of dangerous treatment ahead of me and even then it might work and if it does I could relapse so the chances are I will die, maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow-"

"Morbid much Queenie?" Jack asked coming up behind the bench.

Cameron turned to find Jack stood behind her. "Ed woke up and found you gone so he alerted the troops, I drew the hospital in the search party so here I am."

"I'm fine," Cameron almost sulked.

"I can see that," Jack dryly replied.

Cameron stood up. "You didn't have to come after me."

"No I didn't but you know what Ed's like, besides I thought if I was the person to find you it would give us a chance to talk alone, I could take you for breakfast-"

"I'm not-"

Jack shook his head. "Of course you're hungry. Now why don't you introduce me to your friend then we can ditch him and go and find somewhere that serves a decent breakfast."

"He's not my friend," Cameron snapped as she walked off leaving a stunned Foreman to deal with the fact that no only did Cameron have a life threatening illness but also the fact that despite what she might have told him previously his actions in stealing her article and exposing her with the needle seemed to have hurt her much more than he thought possible.

Shrugging his shoulders Jack threw Foreman a look that was half questioning and half apologetic before following Cameron, he caught up with her easily as she was unable to walk very fast in her weakened state.

"What's with the low mood?" Jack asked as he watched her lean heavily against the car.

Cameron shrugged. "I don't know when I woke up this morning it was like I was seeing things differently, I just felt like I needed to come here and to see everything but then I saw Foreman-"

"Foreman?" Jack questioned.

Cameron pointed over to the bench where Foreman sat looking up at the sky. "He's a guy I work with."

"But not a friend," Jack added remembering her earlier comment.

"I thought we were," Cameron sighed sadly.

Jack joined her in leaning against the car. "Then what changed?"

"Stuff," Cameron breathed.

"Could you be any more vague," Jack smiled.

Cameron looked over to where Foreman sat. "I wrote an article and before I had a chance to publish it he stole my idea and published his first, when I confronted him over it and told him that it didn't matter that I valued our friendship more he told me we weren't friends and that we would never be anything more than colleagues."

"Ouch," Jack frowned. "Want me to go and hit him?"

"No," Cameron smiled. "Then he got exposed to a mystery illness one of our patients had and when our boss wouldn't let me search the apartment he stabbed me with a needle covered in his blood so I was exposed and I would have more motive to search the apartment."

"Ok now I really want to hit him," Jack said clenching his fists to keep himself from doing just that.

Cameron shook her head. "Then when he got worse he made me his medical proxy he apologised for stealing my article and said we were friends and that he trusted me to make the decisions he couldn't."

"What's changed now?" Jack asked.

"I don't know," Cameron sighed. "It's … I … when I saw him just now it was like I suddenly realised that everything he had done had been selfish and that he probably wouldn't have apologised if he hadn't have got sick, I don't need people like that in my life right now."

Jack could see exactly where she was coming from. "You also don't need to be morbid and dead set on dying."

"I don't want to die," Cameron assured her brother.

"Then why so morbid this morning?" Jack wondered.

Cameron looked down at the ground. "Because dying is a reality that I might have to face and I don't want to wake up one day and suddenly have to accept it, if it's always there at the back of my mind then if it comes to that stage it will be easier."

"Do you really believe that?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Cameron stuttered not entirely sure that she really did.

Jack shook his head. "I don't, I believe in you though and I believe that if you don't allow death to be part of the equation it will help you through this, just concentrate on fighting."

"You sound like a motivational speaker," Cameron teased.

"Being … war isn't as horrible as everyone thinks it is; it can be worse, you make friends with people knowing that at any second you could die or they could die or that you could all die and living like that it starts to get you down, while I was over there I lost people that I came to be close to and if it hadn't of been for what I knew I had waiting for me back here I wouldn't have got through it, coming home to my family, to you, that helped me survive just like beating this thing so you can maybe one day have a family of your own will help you survive," Jack said, whispering the last part as his voice gave out.

Cameron looked up at her brother. "Jack?"

"Yeah?" he asked through his tears.

"I love you," Cameron breathed as she wrapped her arms around him.

Returning the hug Jack pulled her into him. "I love you too Queenie. Now what do you say we phone Ed and let him know you're safe before he gets the FBI after you and then we go and get some breakfast?"

"Sounds like a plan," Cameron smiled as she opened the passenger seat and climbed into her car. "What about your car?"

"I don't have a car, I walked," Jack told her as he took the keys from her and climbed into the passenger seat.

Cameron looked at him teasingly. "You do still have a license though don't you only I've seen the way you drive."

"Very funny," Jack said as he started the car and headed away from the hospital hoping that his sister's dark mood was left behind them.

MD-MD-MD

Entering the office Chase found Foreman sat in near darkness with only the light from outside to offset the total darkness.

"Who died?" he joked taking off his bag and throwing it on one of the chairs.

Foreman looked up, his eyes heavy with the lack of sleep. "In a hospital that's not funny."

"Sorry," Chase apologised.

"Have you spoken to Cameron since she took off?" Foreman asked, wondering how much Chase knew.

Frowning Chase shook his head. "No. Why?"

"No reason," Foreman lied.

"What's with the darkness?" Chase asked. "Did House blow up another MRI and now Cuddy needs to save money to replace it?"

Entering the office House made his way straight over to the whiteboard. "Yes and phase 2 of the money saving plan is to fire you."

"I see everyone is in a great mood today," Chase muttered under his breath.

"And I see you just got poop duty," House retorted.

Chase looked up at his boss. "Poop duty?"

"Our patient has been having bloody diarrhoea so you get to collect it, sift through it for debris - apparently our intellectually challenged teenager has a habit of swallowing stolen items - and then you get to run it through every test you can think of to find out what the problem could be," House explained.

Standing up Chase looked from Foreman to House and then back to Foreman taking in their matching frowns. "Lucky me."

"When did you find out about Cameron?" House asked when he and Foreman were alone.

"Yesterday morning," Foreman replied. "You?"

House hit his cane against the whiteboard ignoring the question. "How did she seem?"

"Angry," Foreman simply replied.

House raised his eyebrows at that, anger was an emotion that he rarely associated with Cameron. "With anyone in particular or just the situation?"

"With me," Foreman sighed.

"You? I thought the 2 of you were all puppies and flowers now following your near death," House said.

Foreman shrugged. "I thought we were alright but apparently Cameron's been harbouring some resentment, and I can't say I blame her I've done nothing but act selfishly towards her."

Feeling uneasy having such a emotional talk with Foreman House walked across the room. "As fun as it is sitting here being all deep and meaningful I've got lives to save and you've got clinic hours to complete."

"You've got clinic hours to complete," Foreman corrected.

"Not today," House told him. "Today you get to go down in clinic and play Dr. House."

MD-MD-MD

Standing in the doorway Cameron couldn't help but laugh as she watched her 3 brothers sat in a row on the couch all shouting at the TV screen as they watched the basketball.

"Got room for a small one?" she asked stepping into the lounge.

"Always," Billy smiled moving up so she could sit in between him and Ed.

Making herself comfortable Cameron leaned her head on Billy's shoulder. "How long have you 2 been here?"

"I arrived a few hours ago," Jack answered. "Billy arrived just in time for the game."

"Since when did my apartment become a gentleman's club?" Cameron teased.

Ed laugh taking a mouthful of his tea. "I made them leave the beer and cigars at the door, it's coffee, tea and juice only beyond this point."

"Glad to hear it," Cameron smiled,

"Has Ed got around to doing the shopping again?" Jack asked.

Cameron shook her head. "No, he's slipping in his domestic duties."

"You need to train him better Queenie," Billy added.

Laughing Cameron couldn't help but feel that while she had her brothers here everything was going to be alright and that she would be able to overcome anything that was thrown at her over the coming months.

"What do you say I order takeout?" Cameron offered.

"And you'll be paying?" Billy asked in mock surprise.

Cameron nodded. "Of course."

"Wow, I didn't realise it was a month of Sundays," Jack joked.

"Queenie putting her hand in her purse, there really is a first time for everything," Ed added.

Picking up a cushion Cameron threw it at Billy. "Really funny, you 3 should take the show on the road. Now do you want takeout or not?"

"Takeout sounds good," Ed replied.

Standing up Cameron opened the drawer to her bureau. "So I have, Thai, pizza, Chinese or Indian."

"Pizza," Billy suggested.

"Chinese," Jack replied.

"Indian," Ed wanted.

Cameron couldn't help but laugh as they all answered something different at the same time. "Well I get the deciding vote and I say Thai."

"Thai it is," Ed smiled, rolling his eyes.

Shaking his head Jack stood up. "Now that's more like it; Queenie getting her own way."

"Get used to it," Cameron teased as she grabbed the phone before sitting back down and handing the menu to Billy. "Now hurry up and choose because I'm hungry."

Someone knocking on the front door cut the teasing short as Ed grabbed the menu from Billy. "I'll get it," Jack offered.

"It's my place I'll get it," Cameron said getting back up from the sofa.

As Cameron headed to the door her 3 brothers couldn't help but share a smile, it seemed that she was finally getting back not only her energy but also her spirit while all the time trying to forget that in just under 48 hours she would have to check back into the hospital to start her chemo.

Opening the door Cameron found herself lost for words as she came face to face with her father for the first time since her nephew's christening.

"D … Da … What …"

"Is Jack here?" Tom Cameron asked.

Cameron nodded, not trusting herself to say anything.

Inside all 3 brothers headed for the door as they heard the familiar stern tone of their father.

"What are you doing here?" Ed asked.

Tom looked between his 3 sons avoiding his daughter. "I went to Billy's as planned only he wasn't there, at first Karen was evasive but then she let slip about Jack being back I finally managed to get it out of her that you were all here, the only thing I couldn't get from her was why."

"Dad now isn't the time," Jack said, the last thing he wanted was to ruin his sisters mood, he wanted the next 2 days to be as carefree as possible for her.

"I haven't seen you in months and when you finally are back in the country you don't even ring me," Tom chastised turning his attention to Jack.

Jack shook his head. "Everything isn't always about you, I had other things on my mind."

"Listen why don't you all go get something to eat and catch up," Cameron suggested not wanting things to escalate.

"No," Ed insisted. "We had plans to get takeout so we're going to get takeaway."

Running her hand through her hair Cameron threw a sideways glance at her father before turning to face Ed. "Actually I'm not feeling that well so I'm going to go back to bed."

"Not feeling well?" Ed repeated trying to stop himself from getting alarmed. "Maybe we should-"

Cutting him off Cameron help up her hand. "I'm just tired, it's nothing."

Ed could see the pleading in his sister's eyes and he could see that there was more to it than she was letting on.

Grabbing hold of her wrist he gently led her towards the bedroom. "Queenie-"

"I'm fine I'm just … I can't deal with this right now and probably for longer than right now so please just take him out for some food, get Jack to play the blue eyed boy routine and then send him back home," Cameron pleaded.

"Ok but if you need anything-"

"I'll call," she assured him as she slumped down on the bed, listening as everyone left leaving her on her own for the first time in days. Lying against the pillows Cameron couldn't help but wish that for the first time in her life it had been her that her father had come for.


End file.
